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I do like that he played in a 3-4 in college. Neither Davis or Alonzo played in a 3-4 in college. Like Tomlin said, it was an easy evaluation. You want to know if he can play in the 3-4. Just turn on his tape.

If we have to choose from those two it has to be more like Von Miller. Think about this, 44 tackles for loss, 155 total tackles with 28 sacks over two years tells you that Jarvis Jones also plays the run pretty well. Bruce Irvin will never be confused with that. 16 total tackles all year for the Seahawks with 8 being sacks.

If we have to choose from those two it has to be more like Von Miller. Think about this, 44 tackles for loss, 155 total tackles with 28 sacks over two years tells you that Jarvis Jones also plays the run pretty well. Bruce Irvin will never be confused with that. 16 total tackles all year for the Seahawks with 8 being sacks.

Bruce Irvin = Dion Jordan or Barkevious Mingo......

He does have great production in a the top pro producing conference. I hope your right Dub.

Beside getting sacks Jones looks to be pretty good causing turnovers, isn't that what we were lacking in on defense last season?
Maybe if he gets playing time we'll see improvement in that area not only by him but Cortez Allen might help too in the secondary.

Jones is in the NFL now. What he did in college is meaningless starting the rookie mini camp. Unfortunately, if we as fans have to keep referencing what he did in college over the next couple of years it will because he is disappointing and will be wondering why.

As I go through my post draft process of Steeler draft choices and UDFA I will tell you this. For all of us who had someone else ahead of Jones on the wish list, including myself, there is more hope than concern on Jones. If Jones fails without regards to injury, it will be all on "heart". Since he seems like a good charater guy and shows a passion for the game, I think the forcast is good.

What I mean by "heart" is drive to get better. Jones does have....I may go as far as "Great" football mind. I said this predraft even though he wasn't as high on my wish list. He diagnosis & processes things quickly. That is an uncoachable trait. You just have to get it. Motor & effort is high from snap to whistle. Has natural bend and good with hands. Has already enough pass rush moves to compete. Where he did lack at the POA is against the run & disengaging. He isn't as explosive as you want a 3-4 OLB in the base. Also appears to need additional growth in upper body. Needs to get better at drops, working in zones, and staying on routes at this level. I still think he has limited growth ability. However, since he is now in a 3-4 his growth table is less. If he could improve his work ethic off the field and max out his frame...It would greatly help his development. The other would be to focus on becoming more explosive. He is working with Shaw so that should come along nicely.

I see some throwing out names like Alonzo Jackson & Bruce Davis. I don't think that will be the case. To keep in in "Steeler Perspective"...I think you are looking at a floor of a Joey Porter or Jason Gildon. Harrison & Jones are & will always be two different animals but I would say the arrow would be pointing up from that floor with the ability to make game changing plays like Harrison. Again, all on him though. If healthy...And you see dedication ala Antonio Brown in the "explosive" training and weight room commitment from rookie to end of career like Aaron Smith...You may see something the Steelers haven't seen since Kevin Greene. That elite pass rusher who can give you 12+ sacks every year. The quicker he get himself on the field...The better the chances of that happening.

It's tough to compare him to Irvin and Miller, because they both play in 4-3 defenses. The duties of a 4-3 DE and 4-3 OLB are different than a 3-4 OLB, even though all of these guys are charged with rushing the passer. Miller is a unique 4-3 OLB, because he blitzes a ton from that spot (while most 4-3's tend to get the majority of their pressure via their front 4, not their linebackers), while Irvin seems to me to be a situational pass rushing specialist only...a Mike Wallace like "one trick pony" on defense (albeit a valuable one trick), I don't see Irvin ever seeing regular time on early downs (which is why I was surprised to see him get chosen as high as he did).

Early on, Jones may be used as a situational pass rusher until he proves to LeBeau and Butler that he is able to seal the edge against the run reliably (this should be more of a smooth transition since he already has experience playing 3-4 OLB, as opposed to our usual college 4-3 DE to pro 3-4 OLB conversion projects, but the fact remains that he is still a rookie and will need to prove himself on the field before being handed anything). So, basically, what I'm saying is that he may be more like Irvin as a rookie, but more like Miller for the rest of his career.